Pepperdine Swim & Dive alumna Kylie Taylor (’26) prepares to race in February 2026. After returning to swimming after surgery, Taylor lowered her own school record in the 100-yard backstroke during her senior season. Photo courtesy of Kylie Taylor
Before her senior season, an orthopedic surgeon handed Kylie Taylor, Pepperdine Swim & Dive alumna (‘26), a document to medically retire from the sport she loved since she was 2 years old. All she had to do was write her name, and her swim career would be over.
She chose not to sign it.
“I just refused to accept that,” Taylor said. “I definitely think part of that was because swimming is such a big part of my identity.”
On the other side of that decision was a 100-yard backstroke school record and All-Conference honors, according to Pepperdine Athletics. None of that would have happened if Taylor medically retired.
She said she had to redefine what being a swimmer meant to her during recovery, which led to a revival of love for the sport and a passion for success.
What seems to be the most devastating time during an athlete’s career can open the door to unprecedented levels of success and appreciation for their sport, Taylor said.
Injury Leads Athletes to Self-Doubt
As an NCAA Division I athlete, Taylor said she was no stranger to pushing through hardship. After her sophomore season as a Wave, she knew the pain had gone too far.
Taylor said she took her concerns to healthcare professionals who discovered she was born with a deformed bicep tendon.
“You’re supposed to have two strands of the bicep tendon, and I was born with three,” Taylor said.
She attempted to postpone the surgery with cortisone shots and treatment from Pepperdine’s athletic training staff, but nothing provided relief.
Taylor underwent extensive surgery during the summer before her junior year.
“They cut the top part of your tendon and then drill a hole through your bone, and then tie the tendon into your bone,” Taylor said.
Taylor had to medically redshirt her junior year as a result of the injury. With this setback, she said she found herself with endless doubts and questions.
“It was definitely like an identity crisis,” Taylor said.
A crisis of who she was without her sport — Taylor is not the only Pepperdine athlete who has been in this situation.
Deanie Woodruff, Pepperdine Beach Volleyball redshirt junior, said being on the sideline due to injury is one of the most difficult feelings she has experienced as an athlete.
“To practice every day and have to watch all your teammates get better while you’re just sitting there and you know you’re getting worse, that was really difficult,” Woodruff said.
Deanie Woodruff, Pepperdine Beach Volleyball redshirt junior, prepares for meniscus surgery in January 2023. Woodruff said she had complications after this surgery that led to another procedure and more setbacks. Photo courtesy of Deanie Woodruff
During Woodruff’s senior year of high school, she tore her meniscus. After the surgery and a six-month recovery, she started to get back in the sand — something that was important to her as she was a few months away from starting her freshman year at Arizona State University.
“Every time I played, it would just swell up like a balloon,” Woodruff said.
After getting another MRI, Woodruff found out the implants that were installed in her meniscus during the first repair had become loose.
“They were just tearing my meniscus up more,” Woodruff said.
This tearing led to a second surgery during the fall of her freshman year of college, resulting in more time on the sideline. Woodruff said she felt like she was on the outside of team wins.
“We all want to have those winning moments for our team, so to not really feel like you’re contributing anything to the team’s success, I think that was a really hard part that I wasn’t anticipating,” Woodruff said.
In those moments of doubt, Taylor and Woodruff may not have believed the successes that awaited them.
Injured Athletes Find the Good
Months after declining the option to medically retire, Taylor found herself back in competition.
This time, she was not swimming for records or praise — she was doing it for her team, she said.
“Swimming is important because of all the relationships in my life that it’s brought me,” Taylor said. “Obviously going best times and contributing to the team is really important, but at the end of the day, it’s the relationships we take away.”
Kylie Taylor (left) poses with Pepperdine senior Jordyn Larson (right) after a home meet in February 2026. Taylor said her teammates are the main reason she continued to fight through her injury. Photo courtesy of Kylie Taylor
The love for her team combined with a new sense of intentionality are the two best things that resulted from her injury, Taylor said.
Up until her bicep complications, swimming came naturally to Taylor. She said her injury forced her to slow down her training process and think about her every move, which she credits her senior year success to.
“It wasn’t like I was going through the motions anymore, it was like I had to be so intentional and think about swimming differently,” Taylor said. “I think that was what made me able to go faster.”
And that’s exactly what she did.
In her senior year, Taylor lowered her own school record in the 100-yard backstroke, swam Pepperdine’s second all-time best in the 50-yard freestyle, competed at the National Invitational Championships and received MPSF All-Academic honors, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
Kylie Taylor (bottom) swims in one of her strongest events, backstroke, during an October 2022 meet. Taylor broke the 100-yard backstroke school record in her freshman year and lowered it in her senior year after recovering from surgery. Photo courtesy of Kylie Taylor
These accolades are not what Taylor expected from her return to the pool, but are something she will never forget.
“It actually felt so amazing, I just can’t even believe I was able to do that,” Taylor said. “Especially with the year I had.”
Woodruff said she also took time to focus on herself during her recovery. The moments away from the sand led her to finding a home in the lab.
“I really learned that you have to have an identity outside of sports,” Woodruff said. “One of the things I’ve found that I really, really loved is research.”
Woodruff, a Biology major, participates in Associate Biology Professor Florybeth La Valle’s research.
“As I’m going into my senior year, I feel really confident that when it’s time to leave volleyball, I have an identity outside of volleyball,” Woodruff said.
Deanie Woodruff dives for the ball during an April 2026 match. Woodruff appeared in 32 matches, mostly from flight five during the 2026 season, according to Pepperdine Athletics. Photo courtesy of Deanie Woodruff
Since returning from her injury and finding a revived sense of love for the sport, Woodruff was a main contributor to Pepperdine Beach Volleyball’s successful 2025 and 2026 seasons, receiving accolades including WCC Commissioner’s Honor Roll ‘gold’ status, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
Both Taylor and Woodruff said their competitive successes may not have been possible without the obstacles they overcame. Now, they hope their stories can inspire others.
Gianna Vallone Embarks on Her Injury Journey
While Taylor and Woodruff are able to reflect on their relationship with injury in sport, Pepperdine alumna Gianna Vallone (‘25) is still experiencing the thick of her recovery.
“It’s been a pretty long journey,” Vallone said. “I’m five months post-op right now. I’m still not fully recovered yet.”
The former Dance in Flight (DIF) choreographer and performer fought through hip pain during her time at Pepperdine, but after graduation, she noticed the injury was impacting her day-to-day life.
“I couldn’t really walk more than a mile,” Vallone said. “I couldn’t sit for long periods of time, couldn’t stand for long periods of time.”
Alumna Gianna Vallone (’25) dances in a March 2024 Dance in Flight (DIF) performance. Vallone said she did not expect to continue dancing once she started college, but DIF ended up being one of her favorite parts of her time at Pepperdine. Photo courtesy of Gianna Vallone
After taking proper medical action, Vallone was diagnosed with hip dysplasia, a medical condition when the hip socket does not fully cover the ball portion of the upper thighbone, which allows the hip joint to become partially or completely dislocated, according to the Mayo Clinic.
This condition is something Vallone unknowingly lived with her whole life, she said. Physicians recommended reconstructive hip surgery to provide a more comfortable future.
Gianna Vallone receives assistance to walk after her January 2026 hip surgery. Vallone said she can walk on her own now and is still in physical therapy. Photo courtesy of Gianna Vallone
As Vallone works through postoperative recovery, she has found a creative outlet to fill the void that dance left.
“I started crocheting — like it sounds so silly, but I just needed something else to do,” Vallone said.
A talent in crocheting is not the only thing Vallone discovered during her recovery — she is now considering a career in physical therapy.
“It’s just given me a lot of clarity in the career, professional area of my life,” Vallone said. “I never considered being a physical therapist until I had to go through it.”
While Vallone said she is finding the positives in a situation where it can be difficult to do so, Taylor and Woodruff have advice for those in her situation — something Taylor said she wished she had more of during her injury.
Athletes’ Advice for Revival From Injury
Taylor and Woodruff believe their post-injury success comes from lessons learned during their recovery process, and they want to share their wisdom to those like Vallone who are in the shoes they once walked in.
One lesson Taylor recommends is listening to the signals from the body.
“Advocate for yourself,” Taylor said. “You know your body better than anyone else.”
She also recommends for athletes to trust their gut.
“If you think something is wrong, something is wrong,” Taylor said. “Find people that believe you.”
Finding the people that believed her was key to her recovery, Taylor said.
Once the athlete finds people who believe in them and their recovery, Woodruff recommends celebrating the little wins.
“Just [focusing on] really being in the moment, and taking it one tiny step at a time,” Woodruff said.
Both Taylor and Woodruff said everyone has their own timeline, but they serve as living proof that revival can come from something painful.
Deanie Woodruff celebrates during a February 2026 match. Woodruff said celebrating the little wins during the healing process make the big wins feel even better. Photo courtesy of Deanie Woodruff
No matter which road an athlete takes to recovery, both Taylor and Woodruff said injury provides the time and space to find appreciation for their sport — something that is often taken for granted.
This is something Vallone reminds herself to do.
“Before surgery, I was focused on becoming a better dancer, but I feel like my recovery has taught me a lot of patience,” Vallone said. “I’ll come back ultimately with a greater appreciation for it [dance], and a deeper understanding of the gift that it is.”
This story was copy edited by Lila Rendel.
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Contact Emma Martinez via email: emma.martinez@pepperdine.edu or by Instagram: @emmamartinezreports